My Forgetful Valentine
by star-eye
Summary: Poor Wally. It's a good thing that Artemis is a forgiving girlfriend. Because really? Forgetting about Valentine's Day? Silly speedster... In other words the Valentine's Days of the time skip, the Valentine's Day that we saw, and the Valentine's Day that is to come with two optional endings. Rating is for mild language, I have no rights to the characters. Timeline set by YJ Wikia.
1. Chapter 1

February 14, 2011

* * *

 _Recognized Artemis B07._

"Hi Artemis," Zatanna called in greeting as the archer entered the common room of the Mountain.

"Hey Zatanna," Artemis smiled before looking around in confusion. "Where is everyone?"

"M'Gann and Conner went out on a date and I think Kaldur's in hiding," Zatanna explained.

"And Raquel?"

"She was here for a little while then decided that she'd rather spend Valentine's Day patrolling with Icon. Better than sitting around for Kaldur to wake up," Zatanna said dryly, the tone of her voice clearly stating what she thought of their 'fearless leader'.

"He's still hurting over Tula dating Garth?" Artemis grimaced.

"Probably. Just like he probably thinks its better to spend his time moping rather than getting to know Raquel."

"He'll get over it," Artemis insisted. Zatanna sighed, some of her anger receding.

"I know, I know. I just hate seeing the two of them miserable on Valentine's Day. Hey, what's that?" Zatanna asked, her focus quickly switching from their friends' problems to the envelope in Artemis's hands. The archer turned a delicate pink at her gift being noticed.

"It's nothing, just a card and some candy," she insisted.

"From Wally?" the magician asked eagerly.

"No! It's…it's nothing," Artemis insisted.

"Do I need to put a truth spell on you again?"

"Seriously Zee, it's nothing."

"Ekam simetrA llet em – "

"Okay, okay, no need! It's just a stupid Valentine's gift that I got for Wally, sheesh," Artemis grumbled, crossing her arms uneasily.

"Cute," Zee cooed before a frown marred her features. "Hey, why is it that you're only honest when I threaten you?"

"Because I'm trained to only respond to threats," Artemis answered simply.

"Then how do you explain taking orders from Batman?"

"He's threatening."

"Good point. So you got a Valentine's Day gift for Wally? That's sweet," Zatanna smiled at her friend, changing the subject.

"It's not that big of a deal. I didn't want to spend too much money since technically we're not…you know. Of course knowing Baywatch he's got something totally elaborate planned and will never let me hear the end of it," Artemis rolled her eyes sarcastically, but the sweet smile on her face told her friend that she didn't really care. She was just happy to be with the stupid speedster.

"Well normally I'd love to hang out with you, but I've actually got plans myself for this evening."

"Boy Wonder?"

"Yeah, although the wonder is that I've been able to keep _my_ gift for him a secret," Zatanna admitted.

"What makes you think it's a secret Zee?" the 13-year-old in question asked, suddenly appearing in the doorway, grinning at his two teammates.

"GAH!" Artemis and Zatanna screamed, leaping halfway into the air in surprise.

"Robin where did you come from?" Artemis demanded while Zatanna clutched at her chest, checking to see if she still had a heartbeat.

"Well geez Artemis, you're two years older than me. I'd have thought by now you knew all about the birds and the bats," Robin winked cheekily.

"Very funny bird boy," Artemis said, rolling her eyes.

"Fine, fine sorry. I've been here a while actually," Robin admitted.

"Plotting to take over the world again?" Zatanna asked.

"No not today, mostly just making sure everything's set for tonight," Robin smiled sweetly, all of his usual cockiness instantly fading away as he locked eyes with his ebony-haired Valentine.

"Why, did you get a special gift for someone?" Zatanna asked, faking innocence. The Boy Wonder flushed, horrified for a moment even as he nodded dumbly.

"Me?" Zatanna examined her fingernails with feigned noninterest.

"Well…"

"Good," Zee grinned giving Robin a mild heart attack. "Because I got you a gift too."

Robin's answering smile was practically blinding.

"Feel like a night out in Gotham?"

"I expect to be impressed," Zatanna teased taking his arm and leading him to the Zeta Tube. "And you'd better not have peeked at my present," she warned.

"Wouldn't dream of it Zee," Robin said sincerely.

"I'll see you later Artemis," Zatanna said, glancing back over her shoulder.

"Have a chalant night," Artemis called to them as she watched them leave the cave. Robin shot her a thumbs-up as Zatanna waved goodbye.

Artemis smiled as she watched her friends leave, only to just realize that she had been left completely alone in the Mountain. Well except for Red Tornado, but whoever knew where that robot was?

"And then there was one," she muttered. A quick glance at one of the clocks in the cave told her that she still had some time before Central City High would be finished. Satisfying herself with having to wait she went to the kitchen, dropping her bag and the gift on a countertop as she scrounged up something to eat.

Two hours later Wally still hadn't shown up at the Mountain and Artemis was beginning to feel like an idiot.

"I mean really, what was I expecting?" Artemis complained as she flopped back on the couch in the den. Wolf looked dolefully at her.

"Would roses have been nice? Sure, never mind that they'd die in a few days even if I did stick them in water or knowing my luck Poison Ivy would come by to see Mom again and accuse me of being a flower killer and then they'd get in a huge fight and wreck the apartment!" Artemis threw her arms up in air over her head as she continued to stretch out on the couch. Flipping over to her stomach she leaned onto her elbows and made eye contact with Wolf.

"Would candy have been nice? Yes! Although he'd probably end up eating most of it and I'd have to increase my workout to make up for the one or two pieces that I would end up eating. That's why I figured he'd be smart and wouldn't bother getting me any candy, so I thought it'd be sweet if I got him some. And that stupid card," Artemis moaned dropping her head down.

"Ugh, I should destroy that card while I still have the chance," Artemis complained glancing away from Wolf over to the kitchen counter where her gift of candy and card continued to sit innocently. She deflated slightly looking at the innocuous item and returned her gaze to Wolf.

"A card would have been nice," she admitted softly.

"Something stupid and cheesy that I'd be embarrassed by but would never throw out and years from now I could pull it out of a shoebox or whatever and remember…I'd have that memory of the stupid speedster that forgot our first fucking Valentine's Day!" Artemis shouted. Wolf huffed and licked her face.

"Thanks for listening Wolf. It really helped," Artemis smiled at the large canine. "Especially since none of my teammates have answered my texts," Artemis glared at her phone. Messages had been sent to M'Gann, Raquel, and Zatanna and there wasn't a single word of response. Well M'Gann and Zatanna hadn't really surprised her, but she thought Raquel of all people would be up for helping another girl out with a failed Valentine's Day.

Just as she finished that thought, Artemis's phone began to vibrate.

"Hey Zee," Artemis sighed as she answered the call.

"I'm in the middle of the most beautiful date I could ever imagine having a great time, and your negative vibes are killing my mood. So should I incapacitate that speedster for you or what because I'd like to get back to my evening?"

"Sorry Zee…Wally didn't show up."

"Excuse me?"

"I'm here alone. Well no, I just finished a therapy session with Wolf, he's a great listener," Artemis reached out to scratch the top of the tame wolf's head earning a happy tail thump.

"The hell do you mean he's not at the Mountain! Oh no…ekam yllaW raeppa txen ot simetrA _won!_

"Whoa!" Wally yelped flopping onto the ground next to Artemis.

"Is he there in one piece?" Zatanna asked impatiently.

"Yeah. Enjoy the rest of your night Zee."

"Don't completely destroy him, I want a turn too," Zee ordered.

"We'll see. Get back to bird boy."

"Gladly. Night Artemis."

"Night," Artemis clicked her phone off and turned to regard Wally who was only just starting to sit up.

"Dude…head rush. Wait. I'm in the Mountain. How'd I get here?" Wally asked Artemis with a look of utter confusion.

"Magic."

"Magic isn't –"

"Then how did you get here?" Artemis interrupted him flatly.

"Science that I do not yet understand," Wally insisted firmly.

"We'll talk about your denial later. For now…hi."

"Hey," Wally smiled as he moved to take the seat next to Artemis. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders, hugging her to his side. "While unexpected, it's good to see you."

"You too. So…how was your day?" Artemis asked, carefully watching Wally.

"Fine. Same old, same old. Yours?"

"Fine."

"So we're both fine. And Zee used some crazy new form of Zeta technology or something to transport me to the Mountain. Would you happen to know why?" Wally arched an eyebrow expectantly.

"Probably has something to do with the date…"

"Why? What's today's date?" Wally frowned. Artemis looked at him blankly for a moment then stood roughly, shoving his hand away from her.

"Artemis?" Wally only barely got his hands up in time to catch the object she lobbed at his head. "Babe, what is this?"

"For you," Artemis said stiffly. She hadn't come back to the couch, instead remaining near the kitchen. At the moment she didn't fully trust herself to be within arms reach of Wally.

"Can I open it now?" Wally asked hopefully.

"Kinda the point there, Baywatch."

"Baywatch, huh? I am in trouble," Wally muttered to himself, concerned by Artemis's tone and the whole situation in general. It really had been just another day at school, albeit some of the girls had seemed a little more giggly than usual. He quickly pushed aside the tissue paper before gently pulling out the card. He set it aside only for his eyes to widen at the sight of all the candy Artemis had managed to shove into such a small gift bag.

"Babe! It's not my birthday so what's the occasion?" Wally exclaimed, almost delirious with excitement.

"Read the card," Artemis ordered her hands subconsciously clenching into fists.

"Cute," Wally grinned as he opened the envelope and saw the plain red heart on the front. His smile dropped immediately when he opened the card and read _Be my Valentine_ in fancy script. _Or whatever_ , was added to the bottom in Artemis's strong handwriting as well as her signature.

Valentine's Day. February 14th. And he had completely forgotten about it.

Artemis waited quietly as Wally slowly (especially for a speedster) processed this new information.

"I…I…I'm an idiot," Wally finally admitted.

"Typically yes, although this seems exceptional even for you Wall-man."

"Artemis, I swear I…oh man we've barely been us for more than a month and I'm already screwing up," Wally moaned looking mournfully at the candy.

" 'We've barely been us'," Artemis quoted with a smirk.

"You know what I mean. Us. You. Me. Kissing and whatever and spending time because you're really cool and I like you a ton and I'm pretty sure you like me a lot too and we like hanging out except now I've completely ruined it because I'm an idiot who forgot the date and I wouldn't have even known what to get you because I've never dated a girl before and what the heck do you get someone that you're dating but you're not really dating because we've never really labeled what it is that we are which is really confusing and not normal for me because I'm a scientist and we label shit!" Wally finished, almost yelling in his frenzied panic.

"What?"

Wally turned his large green eyes on Artemis and the sincerity in them had her moving towards him before she even realized it.

"I wasn't sure if you were my girlfriend or not so I didn't think to plan for today. Despite how smooth I am…I've never had a girlfriend before. I…I just forgot and completely screwed up. I've never been in a situation like this before. I…I don't really know what I'm doing," Wally mumbled with embarrassment.

"You are such a dork," Artemis shook her head slowly, finally coming back to sit down on the couch.

"But that's one of the things I happen to like about you. And I accept your explanation."

"Explanation? What about my apology?" Wally protested.

"I didn't catch all of the speedster babble, but I'm pretty sure there wasn't an apology in there," Artemis gave Wally one of her patented looks. The speedster quickly reviewed what he had said and flushed.

"You're right. Artemis, I'm really sorry for forgetting about Valentine's Day. And even though I don't have anything planned whatsoever, I would love to spend the rest of today with you," Wally smiled warmly at the blonde archer.

"Are you saying this just so I'll call off Zatanna from kicking your butt later?"

"Why would she…never mind. No. I am saying this because I sincerely want to be with you and if it's not pushing my luck I would like to officially call you my girlfriend," Wally stated firmly, even if somewhat nervously. He watched Artemis closely, trying to read her facial expressions as she considered his offer. No luck there.

"I have conditions," she finally replied.

"Let's have 'em Beautiful."

"For starters, I pick the movie we're staying in to watch," Artemis ticked off one of her fingers.

"Deal."

"Second, I do not want to come to the Cave any time in the next few days and find out that you tried to pull some huge, overly emotional make-up for Valentine's Day nonsense."

"Are you sure? Because –"

"I'm sure," Artemis stated firmly. "You were right about us not officially being a couple, even if we have been…hanging out a lot," she finished lamely. "This is year is your one Get Out of Jail free card."

"I will never need it again," Wally vowed.

"And final condition, we're sharing the candy," Artemis reached for the bag of individually wrapped pieces, tearing it open and selecting for herself a chocolate.

"You drive a hard bargain, babe. It's a good thing you're so beautiful," Wally teased. Artemis gave him a look.

"And talented, and smart, and can kick ass, and have great hair, and you know tons of stuff about physics and you're a great archer and have I mentioned how glad I am that you're are my amazing and _forgiving_ girlfriend?"

"Nice save."

"Thanks," Wally sighed, wrapping his arms around his girlfriend. He grinned at the word. As Artemis selected an action comedy for the two of them to watch, Wally realized that he could _definitely_ get used to nights like this. As the opening credits played, he vowed to go above and beyond for Valentine's Day next year.

* * *

A/N...I'll just let Wally keep dreaming for now. But consider this the start to a countdown to Valentine's Day with my OTP Spitfire! I'm going to try and get a chapter up a day with the final one showing up on Valentine's Day. Ambitious, considering that everything's not completely written and edited yet, but it'll be fun either way! Thank you so much Fairy Dell for editing this chapter for me last minute! Good editors can be hard to find, but amazing friends are irreplaceable!


	2. Chapter 2

February 14, 2012

* * *

Robin took a deep breath before knocking on the door to Wally's bedroom at the Cave. Kaldur and Conner had ganged up on him to ensure that the speedster had at least _something_ planned for this Valentine's Day. Artemis may have played it off as not being a big deal the year before, but every other girl on the Team had been royally pissed off and would barely talk to _any_ of the guys beyond what was necessary for Team procedure. Maybe this was why Batman was always insisting that relationships weren't healthy for Team dynamic. Eh, it was a moot point either way as long as Wally had his head in the game this year.

The other males of the Team had nothing to worry about in regards to their own plans. Conner had the boyfriend thing down to a near science and Kaldur had finally gotten together with Raquel and didn't need any coaching because he was freaking _Kaldur_. As for Robin aka Dick Grayson, Bruce Wayne had adopted him. So three-fourths of the male population of the Team had everything in order as far as Valentine's Day was concerned. The only weak link in the Valentine's Day chain was Wally West and the likelihood of him upsetting his girlfriend who would call _their_ girlfriends and ruin their own nights. Robin still remembered how upset Zatanna had been last year. But not this year. Definitely _not_ this year.

"Hey bro," Robin called as he entered the room, wrinkling his nose as a wave of stench hit him. Plan A was immediately rejected and Plans B through D became much more viable options as Robin glanced Wally over.

"Hey dude, you're just in time," Wally turned to grin at his best friend, seemingly not noticing the smell. "I've finally got everything finalized for my date with Artemis!"

"Seriously?" Robin asked, daring for a moment to dream that he might not have to enact any of the plans. "What've you got?"

"Okay, well first of all I know she's not really into super fancy high-class restaurants so I thought I could take her to a great Vietnamese place about an hour from Central. I'll need to call ahead to make a reservation or something just to be safe, but that won't be a big deal. Her favorite flower is freesia, but that's not in season in America right now, but it should only take me a few hours to run the globe and find some somewhere, right? Flowers, food, and then there's the gift because I totally spaced last year and didn't get her anything. This one is what's been keeping me up at night man, trying to figure out the perfect thing! Because I could always go with the traditional get her something practical that she could use as a hero, but where's the fun in that? Ollie already gets her all the arrows she could ever need or want and I can't come close to matching the capital of a millionaire. So that leaves out going practical. If I got her for something at home she would accuse me of trying to be a chauvinist or something and wanting her to be a housewife so I'm not going to be that stupid. Candy is always an option, but that's what she got _me_ last year and I don't want to run the risk of accidentally eating her gift because that would be _so_ not cool! So that leaves jewelry or something sweet and sentimental like a teddy bear. It just so happens that there's a new line of Kid Flash teddy bears set to launch and I should be able to grab one before they're on the shelves so she'll have a one of a kind gift ready to go! And just in case it's too self-centered to get her a gift of myself (although really I'm just a gift that keeps on giving) I can buy her a simple silver charm bracelet with a tiny arrow and lightening bolt charm. They're selling them for cheap online and the shipping is pretty fast, so I am officially all set for the best Valentine's Day date ever!"

"This all sounds great dude, Artemis is totally going to love it," Robin grinned, only just holding back a sigh of relief.

"I know, right! It's all tailored perfectly for her. All that's left is actually pulling it all together!"

Robin thought for a brief moment that his heart had stopped beating. It was a joke. Wally had to be making a joke. Because if he wasn't joking then Conner may actually murder him and Robin would gladly help hide the body. Hell _Kaldur_ would help hide the body!

"Wally…"

"Yes?"

"There was a point to your plan that I could use some clarification. Would you mind?"

"Sure, ask away Rob," Wally tensed waiting to hear what advice Robin would offer to improve his fool-proof plan.

"About the present, the bear and bracelet? Do you mean that you… _don't_ have those yet?" Robin asked.

"Yeah, but I can get the bear any time and the bracelet and charms should only take a few days to ship so no big deal."

"Uh huh," Robin struggled to maintain his composure. "And the rest of your plan. The reservation, the flowers, do you have _any_ of that ready?"

"Well no, I need to call in and I should probably run and get the flowers, although I still need to figure out where in the world to get the freesia and how to get it from there to back here without damaging the petals. But it's seriously no big deal, Rob, I've got plenty of time!" Wally insisted with a wave of his hand.

Robin's eyes bugged out behind his glasses.

"Wally…you do realize today is February 14th, right?"

"Yeah, so? I've still got plenty of time before Valentine's Day."

"Dude…dude no, no you don't. _Today_ is Valentine's Day!" Robin shouted. "It is six o'clock right now, you only have six hours until Valentine's Day is over!"

If Robin wasn't seething about his own plans being ruined he'd actually feel sorry for the speedster. Or maybe feel sorry for Artemis since _she_ was the one dumb enough to keep dating Kid Idiot.

The blood drained from Wally's face as Robin's meaning finally clicked in his head. Mechanically he turned to his desk and stared at the small calendar he had set up there. He checked the date, sniffed his shirt once, and then thumped his head down onto his desk in defeat.

"I smell like an armpit, I have nothing planned or prepared, and I have only six hours until midnight. Artemis is going to kill me for this. Worst, she's going to break up with me," Wally groaned miserably.

"No, no she won't," Robin shook his head slowly.

"What do you mean?"

"She's not going to kill you because I'm going to murder you first you idiot!" Robin shouted lunging for the speedster. Wally took off in a flash, skidding to a halt in the main room when he saw the rest of the Team.

"Help!"

"Why?" M'Gann frowned.

"Robin's gone crazy!"

"Who gave Robin coffee?" Zatanna demanded, exasperated.

"I'm going to kill him!" Robin shouted, his voice echoing through the Cave.

"Wally, what did you do?" Artemis asked, already dreading the answer.

"The idiot forgot the date," Robin yelled, not even giving the speedster a chance to defend himself. The bird somersaulted into the air and landed on Wally's back, tying him up in quick order. He shared a significant look with Kaldur and Conner who both nodded severely and stepped forward to grab ahold of the speedster.

"Artemis! Babe, I'm sorry!" Wally shouted as he was dragged from the room. "I swear I will make it up to you next year! I will _not_ forget the date next time, I promise!"

"Only Wally could make perfect plans and then forget the date," Artemis sighed, shaking her head with disbelief.

"Huh?" Raquel asked.

"Wally's been bragging the last few days about having the perfect plan for Valentine's Day and just needing to 'tighten up' a few minor details. Apparently those details included anything to do with remembering the actual _date_ of Valentine's Day," Artemis groaned with embarrassment.

"And now he's upset the guys," Zatanna shook her head.

"So they've got to go 'talk' to him," M'Gann added.

"Which means our nights are ruined as well," Raquel huffed. The four superheroines shared a look.

"Girls night out in New York?" Zatanna suggested.

"Hell yes!"

* * *

A/N. Oh Wally, what are we going to do with you? Clearly the guys have a few ideas... So close, and yet so far. Sorry that it's a bit late posting, but this needed to be rewritten and all I can say about that editing process is that I do not know what I would do without Fairy Dell and I frankly do not want to ever find that out. Seriously, that girl is amazing. I hope you've enjoyed this latest installment of My Forgotten Valentine and I will see you all tomorrow!


	3. Chapter 3

Thursday, February 14, 2013

* * *

 _Deadlines. Applications. Interviews. Schoolwork. Vigilante life. After-school job. It just never ends_ , Artemis thought with a groan, rubbing at her tired eyes. It was her senior year of high school; everything was supposed to be fun and wonderful with the scent of freedom in the air. Except that it wasn't because there were still deadlines that needed to be met and choices needed to be made about which college she would be attending come fall.

It's not as though she was alone in her panic, of course. Most of the rest of the Team was panicking right along with her, from the early hours of the dawn to the late watches in the night. The only person _possibly_ freaking out more than the rest of the Team was Wally.

Poor Wally had barely slept more than four hours since the end of Winter Break, having loaded up on the AP and Dual Credit classes in the hopes of ending high school on a high note with a few impressive letters of recommendation from his various teachers. He still managed to find time to be Kid Flash with the Flash and with the Team, but the strain was starting to show. Artemis couldn't remember the last time they had a date, even a simple coffee one.

Wally was actually the one who had pushed Artemis into applying herself and really giving college a chance. Before joining the Team all those years ago Artemis hadn't envisioned much of a future for herself. She'd never really been given the opportunity. But when Batman sticks you into an elite school (or should she say Bruce Wayne?) and you've got a boyfriend who's a science prodigy and has been pumped for college since the second grade, it's nearly impossible to not start thinking about the possibilities that the future could hold.

Artemis still wasn't sure what she wanted to study yet. Something with languages more than likely, although business classes would come in useful and she had a passion for writing that she was only just beginning to really explore.

In contrast, Wally had the next four years of his life planned out and was more than willing to have a say in planning at least part of hers. He was applying to Stanford's advanced physics program and had dumped at least twenty pamphlets about life at Stanford and the different majors offered. They were required to live in the dorms the first year, but Wally had quietly pointed out that off-campus living could be affordable and it wouldn't be the worst thing in the world to live with her.

Admittedly that had freaked Artemis out a little at first, but Wally had been quick to reassure her it was just an option he'd been thinking about and not something they absolutely had to do.

Artemis smiled to herself at the memory of how quick Wally had been to backpedal on his offer when he saw it freaked her out. The stupid speedster was afraid of scaring her off, even after three years of dating. Artemis had reached the enviable stage where she found Wally's science rants endearing and thought he looked cute when he managed to eat five large pizzas in less than fifteen minutes. There was nothing that the speedster could do now to scare her off or make her angry enough to leave. Including forgetting Valentine's Day.

The archer paused in her writing at this thought.

"Damn," she cursed to herself glancing at the clock. It was almost midnight and she hadn't even _called_ Wally today all because of a stupid essay for school!

"Some girlfriend I am. Didn't text him once, let alone actually see him and now it's too late to call. Ugh, I can't believe I didn't even pick up a card this year," Artemis chastised herself. Standing up from her desk in her bedroom in Gotham she stretched and loosened her tensed muscles. Grabbing her cell phone from where it had been charging she pulled up the texting app and smiled as she always did at the sight of Wally's contact photo.

Wally had insisted on setting the contact photo for her, not that she objected to the ridiculous picture. Baywatch, in all of his swim trunk glory sprawled on the floor of the Cave the first day they had met. She had objected at first, secretly wanting to use the photo from their first kiss, but Wally had been stubborn saying that it documented the first time that he had fallen for her. When he had put it that way...well she _could_ have refused, but she didn't really want to.

Putting the happy memories aside, Artemis sent off a quick text to her boyfriend before setting her phone aside and returning to her desk to try and get her paper finished before 1 a.m. hit.

 _Hey Wally, sorry for almost forgetting Valentine's Day. I love you. Let's do something this weekend?_

* * *

Saturday, February 16, 2013

* * *

Wally West smiled as he woke up Saturday morning. He had finally gotten the last of his applications in and was back on schedule for the rest of his schoolwork. It felt good to be back on track. Nothing had been forgotten, all was well with the world, and the sun was shining brightly on this beautiful day of February 16th, only a few measly days after…

"Valentine's Day!" Wally shouted, not caring that he had probably just woken up his parents and a decent portion of the neighborhood with his exclamation.

"I completely spaced on Valentine's Day. Crap, crap, crap and I was going to use last year's plan and get it _right_ this time!" Wally complained, jumping from bed and proceeding to pace frantically around his room.

"But wait!" he came to a dead stop. "No one on the Team has tried to kill me, and as far as I know Cheshire hasn't snuck into the house to slip in any poisons like she threatened to do last year. So maybe...maybe I got lucky and Artemis forgot too?"

Wally dived for his cell phone on the other side of the room and began to frantically sort through the assorted emails, Facebook notifications, and text messages that had piled up over the last week. He finally found her message, taking the time to smile at her contact photo from junior prom, and felt ten times worse for having read it.

It didn't matter that Artemis had forgotten to buy him anything. She had still found the time to text and offer up a form of an apology and alternative to the missed holiday. And she hadn't even sent him angry messages demanding to know why he wasn't replying.

"I am dating Artemis Lian Crock. I am dating a brilliant, beautiful, strong, sexy, forgiving, sweet, could break me if she wanted to goddess and I forget to celebrate Valentine's Day with her because of a _freaking application?!_ What the hell is wrong with me?" Wally moaned slapping his forehead in frustration.

 _Beautiful, you are dating a first class idiot. I am SO sorry for spacing on what this week was. Let me make it up to you with a day on the town, my treat?_ Wally texted his girlfriend, cringing as he realized that he was almost two days behind in responding to her initial text.

 _You've been ignoring your phone again, haven't you?_ Artemis replied a few minutes later. Wally could picture her smirk so easily. When was the last time he had seen her smirk or smile at him? Way too long…

 _Maybe… You know me too well, Babe._

 _It's a good thing you're cute._

 _You're beautiful._

 _Did you get your applications in?_

 _Last one went out last night and I got a solid nine hours of sleep after doing it!_

 _I'm really proud of you, you know that, right?_

 _Feeling's mutual, Beautiful._

 _That said, I believe you made a promise for a day doing whatever I want? So why am I still in Gotham alone?_

 _Be there in a flash ;)_

 _You're such a dork, Baywatch._

 _I love you too, Artemis._

* * *

A/N Aren't these two precious? Reviews make me happy, but then again so did writing this chapter. Thanks for helping me bounce ideas and editing Fairy Dell!


	4. Chapter 4

February 14, 2014

* * *

Artemis had returned from her last class of the day expecting to get ready for a night out with Wally. What she had gotten instead was a barely legible note on the dry erase board she and her roommate had set up outside their dorm that simply stated "Barry called" and was signed with a lightening bolt.

Having some idea of what Wally meant, Artemis quickly erased the message and turned the television on as soon as she entered her room. It took a while to find a news station covering Central City, but when she finally found the right channel Artemis dropped to the floor in shock. A mass breakout of the Central City jail was in progress, everyone from the supervillains down. Police barricades were set up to try and contain the worst of it while news teams watched on as Flash and the newly returned Kid Flash did their best to contain the escaped convicts.

It seemed like the fight would never end. Everything that could go wrong did. The Flash and Kid Flash were out of sync with one another, having gone so long without fighting as partners. The convicts were desperate for escape, actually working together on their enacted plan rather than simply running about in an every-villain-for-themselves fashion. Some of the younger officers on the force were disobeying orders and trying to mix themselves into the fight. Some of them had brought guns.

It was towards the end of the melee that one of the guns went off. Artemis, who had grown up falling asleep to gunfire outside her bedroom had screamed shrilly, bringing her neighbors and the hall's RA running. When the girls burst into her room demanding to know what was wrong, she wordlessly pointed to the screen where it was announced that the Flash had been shot by an accidental bullet.

The superhero kept going even as the wound bled and Kid Flash was revitalized, picking up Flash's slack and forcing the escapees into submission. It was only when the last convict was back in custody that the police barricade broke to allow the hospital's emergency workers close.

Artemis watched woodenly as the Flash…as _Uncle Barry_ was forced into an ambulance and surgery was begun to remove the bullet before it was completely sealed in by the older speedster's fast healing. Kid Flash was told to run ahead to the hospital and Artemis could do nothing but stare at the TV screen as her boyfriend vanished from the camera frame.

"Artemis? Artemis?" Grace asked cautiously. "You okay?"

"I…yeah, I'm fine," Artemis mumbled, finally tearing her eyes from the screen to look at her roommate. The two girls had gotten on surprisingly well for first-time roommates and Grace was worried by the ill expression on the normally tough girl's face.

"You look like you're going to be sick," Grace informed her bluntly.

"The news. My boyfriend and his family…they're from Central City and I…the news…"

"It's really scary seeing a member of the Justice League get hurt like that," Grace nodded. "But I'll bet the paramedics fix the Flash up good as new! And hey, Kid Flash was there! Isn't he your favorite sidekick? It must have been nice to see him back in action."

"Partner," Artemis corrected automatically. "And yeah, Kid Flash back in the suit was…was a good thing. Grace, do you mind, but I need to make a phone call and then I'll probably be out pretty late tonight."

"Right, you and Wally have your big Valentine's Day plans. I'll be busy with Lucas, but if I'm back before you are I'll be sure to leave a light on for you," Grace promised.

"Don't bother," Artemis shook her head. "But thanks Grace. Have fun with Lucas tonight."

"Have a good time with Wally. Maybe he'll get that smile back on your face," Grace said, trying to be chipper even though she was sincerely worried about her roommate.

Artemis dialed Wally's phone number from memory as she walked through the hallways of her dorm somewhat aimlessly. No answer. She called a second time. No answer.

After the fifth time with no answer, Artemis called a different number.

"Dick –"

"He's okay 'Mis," he responded before Artemis could even finish her question. "Both Wally and Barry are safe. Barry's in surgery, but he should be out of it soon. I'm monitoring the situation and will send updates. You don't need to be there."

"The _hell_ I don't!" Artemis snapped.

"He's there as KF. And GA's protégé hasn't been seen often enough with KF to justify suddenly showing up. Stay where you are," Dick ordered.

"You're not my boss, _Dick_ ," Artemis snarled his name as more of a curse.

"I _know_ this will be hard for you. But think how much worse it would be if I.D.s were blown?" Dick reasoned. Artemis stopped pacing and stood quietly, breathing heavily for a few beats.

"Patch through to Wally and tell him to call me as soon as possible. If I don't hear from him in the next hour I will do whatever I have to do to get there," Artemis vowed.

"I'll deny you access to the Zeta Tubes."

"I've got Zatanna on speed dial. Threaten me like that again and I will reinstate the Team's Prank Wars and give the freshmen access to my play book."

"I rescind my previous statement."

"Damn right you do. Now tell that stupid speedster of mine to _call me_ ," Artemis ordered.

* * *

February 15, 2014

* * *

Wally knocked wearily on Artemis's dorm door. It was one in the morning in Palo Alto. He had run from Central City, sacrificing the speed of Zeta Tubes in favor of the freedom of a long run. Artemis would hopefully understand his being so late. He had called her as soon as Dick had gotten through to him, but after the day he had had he was desperate to see his Spitfire.

"Hi Wally," Artemis greeted her boyfriend quietly as she opened the door. She held a finger up to her lips, shushing him before he could respond.

"Grace just went to bed," she explained, closing the door softly behind her. The couple stood awkwardly out in the hallway, neither knowing what to say at first.

"How's Barry?" Artemis asked.

"Full recovery. The surgeons managed to get the bullet out and kept a close eye on him to make sure that he recovered correctly."

"Good," Artemis sighed with relief.

"Yeah." Wally groaned, rubbing a hand over his face tiredly.

"You're exhausted Baywatch," Artemis spoke gently. "You should have just gone home and gotten sleep."

"No. I couldn't…I _needed_ to see you before today was over. I mean I know today is technically over and I shouldn't have needed Dick to tell me to call you and it was freaking Valentine's Day and I swear I gave the Rogues hell for pulling this stupid stunt and getting Barry hurt and -"

"Wally," Artemis interrupted, reaching out and pulling him into a hug. "I'm glad that you're okay. I should have been there at the hospital with you. But Dick was...well, being a dick."

"I know. And I know you would have been there if you could. It was a mess, the doctors were freaking out and Aunt Iris...I didn't know that she could lose her cool like that," Wally shook his head. He still hadn't let go of Artemis and didn't plan to any time soon.

"It could have been you," Artemis whispered, her voice barely legible. Reflexively, Wally tightened his grip on his girlfriend.

"But it wasn't. And it won't be."

"You can't promise that."

"Yeah, but you know I'll always come back for you," Wally teased. "That is, if you'll still have me after screwing up...what are we on now, four missed Valentine's Days?"

"If I cared about a stupid card holiday, maybe I'd be upset. Wally, it's seriously only one day out of the year. And this year you have an unbeatable reason for canceling the date," Artemis was quick to reassure him.

"But it would have been an awesome date!" Wally whined releasing Artemis so that he could look her in the eyes. "I was going to take you to the beach so we could watch the sunset on the water and try the pizza place we found that one time!"

"That sounds really nice," Artemis smiled softly.

"I'm glad. It would have been amazing," Wally grimaced. "It's all stuff we can do later, and I swear we will, but I don't know, I just thought it'd be really nice if I could do this for you. You never let me spoil you and this is my one chance per year and this is the freaking fourth year in a row that something's happened! I wanted to get this one time right for you, you know? Like, I know I screw up a lot. Not as much as I used to, but I know I'm no Mister Perfect. But is it so much to ask that I not screw the date up for once? I mean the last three years I forgot it and this year I had to cancel and I mean I didn't even remember to do that…Artemis I really want you to know that just because I forget the date doesn't mean I've forgotten you," Wally mumbled, glancing down as he traced the pattern on the bedspread.

"Wally, I don't feel that way and I _definitely_ don't think that," Artemis insisted, grabbing hold of his hand.

"I'm glad. Like, you have no idea how glad I am of that," Wally sighed with relief.

"Wally…

"I love you, Artemis. I don't ever want you to forget that."

"I never could," Artemis insisted. "I love you too Wally. My brilliant, wonderful, cheesy, sweet, and _hot_ boyfriend."

"So I'm really forgiven for always canceling then?" Wally asked hopefully. Artemis took Wally's face in her hands and stared him directly in the eyes.

"I forgive you completely. There is nothing to forgive. I love you, Wally."

"I love you too, my Spitfire," Wally smiled warmly. "Happy 50% off candy day, Artemis. And listen, I _promise_ that next year –"

"Nope, don't want to hear it," Artemis growled, grabbing Wally by his shirt and pulling him forward for a kiss. Screw Valentine's Day and all of the consumer hype, she didn't care as long as her speedster was safe.

* * *

A/N Thank you Fairy Dell for the encouragement and editing! And thank you to those reading this story. I'm having a lot of fun writing it and there's still a few more chapters to go!


	5. Chapter 5

February 14, 2015

* * *

"Why did I agree to this again?" Jade demanded looking at her little sister with disgust.

"I have no idea why _you_ agreed to this. I'm only here because Wally thought it would be…sweet. One of those things normal sisters are 'supposed' to do apparently," Artemis rolled her eyes.

"Your redhead needs to get over the idea of any of us ever being normal," Jade scoffed.

"I'm not disagreeing," Artemis shrugged. "Although, this really wouldn't be so bad if the guys had remembered to show up."

"Indeed. Much as I like spending time with my _baby_ sister, if one more person makes an assumption about us being a couple I may have to resort to drastic measures," Jade smiled seductively, running a hand along the sleeve of her black leather jacket as though she were enjoying the texture rather than doing a recount of just how many knives she had stashed in that particular area.

"No weapons in public, Jade. You're neutral now, remember?" Artemis chided.

Jade sighed dramatically before smirking at her little sister. She cast her eyes around the coffee shop once more, seeking out either of their redheads. No sight of the morons, but there were plenty of other young and old couples displaying varying degrees of nauseating sweetness.

"All right then, how about judging people? Am I allowed to do that?"

"Technically it's 'not nice' but Wally's not here so I won't tell if you won't," Artemis smirked. The Crock sisters scanned the room quickly as only two professional hecklers could and were immediately pleased with their results.

"The older couple at my far left. Acceptable, even dare I say adorable," Jade half-smiled.

"But someone should tell the middle schoolers sitting next to them that there are some public displays of affection they're not _quite_ ready for," Artemis spoke while barely moving her lips.

"Female brunette to the right with the boy in the baseball cap…"

"Doesn't realize that her 'boyfriend' is texting another girl at this moment," Artemis finished for her sister.

"Look at the little hero being so catty," Jade chuckled.

"I judge because I've been there. I freely admit to doing things with Wally in the Cave that would have made our mentors _both_ weep at the blasphemy of it all. Not that _you_ don't have a few stories of your own to share," Artemis quirked an eyebrow at her sister.

"My stories would keep you up for weeks on end." Jade's smile was something akin to a cat enjoying a bowl of cream. Completely decadent and self-satisfied.

"That image may keep me up for weeks on end. What is that boy trying to do, eat her stomach?" Artemis shuddered, nodding her head to another pair of middle school students who had their tongues stuck down each others throats with hands roaming to places that weren't meant for public coffee shops.

"The joys of innocence and youth. I think I may vomit," Jade cringed. The sisters shuddered once in unison before returning their attention to their own cups of tea.

"You don't really have room to complain though. After all, you jumped right into it with Roy," Artemis observed with a smirk. Jade's lips curled up into something that could possibly be called a smile.

"And what makes you so sure of that, sister dear?"

"Do I need to refresh your memory of Qurac? The Louisiana bayou?"

"Touché. Although I'm sure I don't need to tell you about the rumors that I used to hear from the League of Shadows about you and that little speedster of yours. Public displays of affection indeed. Is it true about the time in Bialya?"

"Which one?" Artemis's laugh was low in the back of her throat before dying quickly. The two sisters shifted uncomfortably, tired of the idyllic coffee shop and the lack of presence of their significant others.

"Okay, this is stupid. We're past the twenty minutes mark. We are dangerously close to a level of desperation that no self-respecting Crock woman should ever consider. Let's go," Jade ordered, standing and dropping a few bills on the table to cover the tab.

"My place?" Artemis offered. "There's food, wine, and television."

"Lead the way," Jade nodded sharply. The sisters strutted out of the coffee shop, both of their prides refusing to make it seem as though they had been publicly ditched. Artemis spoke up as soon as the door closed behind them.

"I cannot believe those two. Well, Roy I can believe forgetting. No offense."

"Not too much taken," Jade shrugged carelessly.

"But _Wally_? I told him he didn't have to do anything this year, he insists, sets this whole thing up, and _still_ manages to screw it up!"

"Artemis, haven't you learned yet that men don't know how to keep their promises?" Jade teased her little sister.

"Aren't you too young to be this cynical already?" Artemis parried. Jade's smirk dropped as she raised a single eyebrow.

"Between our father, your speedster, and my archer? Really Artemis, some cynicism is practically required," she replied in a deadpan voice.

"Cynicism is great, except it doesn't get you those front-row concert tickets that Roy did on your anniversary."

"How many times do I have to tell you it was _not_ our _anniversary_? We don't do silly things like that," Jade huffed, flipping her hair over her shoulder impatiently. Artemis smirked at getting to her sister.

"So Roy-Boy got you those tickets 'just because'? Now isn't that _sweet_ ," she cooed.

"We are not sweet. Never use that word to describe us," Jade slowed in her walk to shoot a near-lethal glare at her sister. "And if you're trying to convince me to forgive Roy for standing me up because he's done a _few_ smart things in the past…I'll think about it. _After_ he begs and grovels. That's always my favorite part."

"I have a hard time imagining Roy willingly begging for anything," Artemis said somewhat skeptically.

"Under the right circumstances I am _very_ adept at getting Roy to _beg_ ," Jade said salaciously.

"Too much info, Jade."

Jade smirked to herself, satisfied that she had won this round of 'sisterly affection'. The two young women walked silently for a while, contemplating their surroundings.

"How did we end up like this?" Jade demanded after walking too long in silence.

"Do you mean dating two ridiculous redheads who can't remember a simple holiday or do you mean two would-be assassins gone hero?" Artemis asked.

"Which one lets us blame someone else?"

"The last one, that way we can blame Dad. Otherwise it's our own taste in guys."

"Nah, we can still blame that one on Lawrence. Genetics," Jade argued. Artemis chuckled and sighed.

"It's really weird, isn't it?" Artemis asked as she pulled out her key. They had finally reached Artemis's apartment and were quick to move inside into the warmth.

"Hmm?"

"The fact that we're both dating redheads with bad memories and a hero complex," Artemis explained.

"You forgot another similarity."

"What?"

"They'll both be sleeping on their respective couches tonight," Jade said firmly. Artemis laughed.

"Like I'm even letting him in here?" she demanded.

"Doesn't he have a key?" Jade asked with an uplifted eyebrow.

"He does. I swiped it when I left," Artemis said holding up two house keys.

"See, there's a little bit of me in you after all," Jade smiled, holding up her set of keys as well as Roy's. The sisters laughed and proceeded to make themselves right at home in the apartment. Classic Vietnamese movies cued up, a bottle of wine freshly opened, and enough snacks that would make both of them have to up their workout regimens.

It was only an hour into the first movie that the sisters were interrupted by loud knocks on the door.

"Any chance that's the pizza we forgot to order?" Jade asked Artemis sardonically.

"Babe, I'm sorry I forgot my keys again!" Wally shouted through the wooden door.

"That's not all you forgot," Artemis muttered to herself as she paused the movie. Both Crocks stood and went to the door, listening carefully and learning that Wally was not alone on the other side of the door.

"I'm telling you Roy, I could hear one of Artemis's favorite movies in there. Jade's probably there with her and they were here the whole time," Wally insisted.

"There's no way we're that lucky, West," Roy disagreed.

"For once you're right Roy-Boy," Artemis smirked as she opened the door. She and Jade took up stances in the doorway, barring entrance to the rest of the apartment.

"Hey Beautiful, hey Jade," Wally greeted stepping forward to kiss his girlfriend only to be stopped by a deadly look from Jade. He took a quick step back and once the speedster was in place, Jade directed her own gaze to her lover.

"You made me wait," Jade hissed, narrowing her eyes.

"This idiot forgot the date," Roy pointed to Wally.

"Again?!" Artemis exclaimed.

"And this idiot forgot where we were supposed to meet," Wally immediately turned on Roy.

"I left you at least five notes!" Jade snapped.

"We're sorry!" both redheads shouted together. Artemis and Jade exchanged looks.

"Not good enough. Try again later," Jade moved so that Artemis could shut the door in the guys' faces.

"Wait, Artemis!" Wally attempted to protest.

"Crock sister night. You said you wanted us to try and do the 'normal sister thing', right?" Artemis smirked at Wally as she closed the door the last bit and put the lock back in place.

Wally stared ahead in disbelief.

"They kicked me out of my own apartment," Wally muttered, glaring at the door in disbelief. "And I'll bet I didn't even forget my keys, I bet she _stole_ them this time!"

"It's your own fault Kid. What did you expect to happen getting those two together?" Roy demanded. Wally opened his mouth to protest this statement and then wisely shut it.

"Yeah, I suppose you have a point there. Mind if I crash at yours?"

"As long as you don't snore? Sure, come on. We'll bring them breakfast in the morning and _hopefully_ this will all be forgotten."

"Try forgiven. There's no way either of them are going to let us forget this," Wally shook his head ruefully.

"Eh, there's always next year to remember, West."

* * *

Bonus scene as requested by Fairy Dell!

* * *

"Do you have any food?" Wally asked as they came up to the apartment Roy shared with Jade.

"Yes, and unless you pay for it you're not eating any of it," Roy informed his friend as he fished around in his pockets, searching for his keys. This went on for five minutes with Roy's frustration level slowly rising higher and higher.

It was only after he had removed his coat to check the lining that he received an incoming text alert on his cell phone.

 _Missing something Roy? ;)_

"Jade…" Roy growled.

"What'd she say?" Wally demanded, craning his neck to try and read the message over Roy's shoulder.

"She picked my pocket _again_. How the hell did she manage it this time?" Roy complained.

"Better question, _why_ did she pick your pocket? Did they expect us to screw up tonight?" Wally demanded with exasperation. Roy shot Wally a look.

"In your case, I'm pretty sure they were both counting on it. I know Jade had a batch of jellyfish toxin prepped to dip her shurikens in just in case you actually made Artemis cry this year," Roy confessed.

"Okay, that's the sort of thing that is good to know _before_ going out on a date! Dude, is she going to sneak back in here in the night and kill me in my sleep?" Wally demanded.

"Do you think Artemis will ask her to?" Roy asked leaning forward to examine the doorknob more closely. "Hey, do you have a bobby pin or something?"

"Right, because I've got enough hair to need a bobby pin," Wally snorted.

"Robin always has bobby pins when he comes to visit."

"Boy Wonder's a Boy Scout, you know that. And he's going by Nightwing now."

"And how many years did it take for the two of you to stop calling me Speedy?"

"Touché. So if neither of us have bobby pins or pin like things, how are you going to pick the lock?" Wally inquired.

"Not going to. We'll have to break in," Roy shrugged, not caring in the least about potential property damage. Before he could take a step, almost as if by magic, he received another text alert on his phone.

 _If I come home tomorrow to broken locks/windows you'll both end the day with broken balls. Just a friendly warning._

"Dude…Jade scares me," Wally said seriously.

"Yeah. It's…kind of hot," Roy admitted.

"Shut up and let me concentrate," Wally commanded. "Neither of us can pick a lock apparently and I happen to like my bits as they are."

"So…?"

"So I'm going to vibrate my molecules through the door."

"Can you do that without getting a nosebleed?

"Do you have any better ideas?"

Roy was silent for a beat.

"Try not to get any blood on the carpets."

"What, Jade doesn't like blood on the carpets unless she's the one spilling it?" Wally asked sarcastically.

"Yes."

* * *

A/N Let's all give a big thank you to Fairy Dell for an amazing editing job and having the suggestion for the bonus scene in which the guys realize that they've been locked out of both apartments. There was a lot of Jade in this chapter, but she's such a fun character to write that she may have stolen the show a bit with this one! Anyways, tomorrow will get us all caught up to the Valentine's Day that we saw between Spitfire in Season 2 and then there's one more chapter after that! Thank you for all of the reviews and support, it's meant so much to me!


	6. Chapter 6

February 14, 2016, 12:03 a.m.

* * *

Wally tried to be quiet as he walked through the apartment, not wanting to risk waking Artemis if she had gone to bed early. Sitting down with a sigh in the kitchen, he began to replay the so-called 'intervention' in his mind.

"How'd it go?"

"It didn't. We talked, he wouldn't hear us," Wally groaned. "And on top of that my Vietnamese Lit paper is still due at 8 a.m. I don't suppose I could copy off yours?" Wally asked semi-hopefully. Artemis chuckled, leaning down to give him a kiss.

"Not a chance."

"Hey, it's after midnight. Happy Valentine's Day, Artemis,"

"You remembered," Artemis smiled warmly at Wally. She stood and began to walk away. He couldn't help but call after her playfully.

"Come on…what kind of jerk would I be if I forgot Valentine's Day…for the fifth year in a row?"

"Sixth," Artemis muttered under her breath with a small smile as she walked to the fridge. Putting her hand on the handle she turned back to look at her boyfriend.

"Well, I remembered too. I got you your favorite food. Everything," Artemis smirked as she opened the door to reveal the fridge's bounty. The look in Wally's eyes was more than worth almost losing all of the circulation in her arms when she had carried twelve plastic sacks worth of groceries to the apartment. Hey, she took pride in being able to empty the car in one trip.

"Babe, you rock," Wally couldn't stand to not have his spitfire in his arms at the moment. He pulled Artemis into a tight hug, letting her presence block out the pain of seeing how far his friend had fallen.

"You're still worried about Roy," Artemis murmured into his shoulder.

"He's lost, Babe. Alone. The guy just _won't_ let anyone in."

"He seemed to be doing better for a while there. When he was with Jade...I thought that maybe they were both helping each other," Artemis admitted.

"I thought so too. I guess we both should have known better," Wally said with a sigh as he released Artemis from the hug. She grabbed his hand and gave it a squeeze, leading him back to the kitchen table.

"Come on Babe, you need to get this paper finished."

"And just what are you going to do while your poor lover works through the night? You wouldn't abandon me on Valentine's Day, would you?" Wally asked playfully. Artemis quirked an eyebrow at him, smirking.

"Right, of course you need your beauty sleep," Wally winked.

"Please, I wake up looking this good," Artemis scoffed. "And to prove it, wake me up when you have class and we'll get breakfast afterwards. Your treat."

"But of course, anything for mademoiselle," Wally kissed Artemis's hand playfully.

"Dork," Artemis laughed once then yawned.

"Get some sleep, babe. I'll rattle this paper off and be in soon, okay?"

"All right. Try not to stay up too late. And remember the major themes of _Paradise of the Blind_ revolve around the complications of familial ties in contrast to the need for self-actualization."

Wally blinked at his girlfriend in shock. Artemis had probably saved him at least an hour's worth of work with just that sentence.

"You're saving my grade right now, you realize?" he asked, dumbfounded by the unexpected help.

"Happy Valentine's Babe," Artemis winked before heading to the bedroom.

* * *

A/N Short and sweet this time around. Thanks for all of your help Fairy Dell! I appreciate all of the reviews, thank you so much tvfan69, Artemis Raven Courtney, and Pixie07! And in advance of tomorrow's final posting...sorry!


	7. Sad Feels

A/N This is a potential future I envisioned for Spitfire. If you're in the mood for some sad feels, I recommend this one. If you're in the mood for something different, wait a bit for the next chapter. Either way, Happy Valentine's Day/Singles' Awareness Day!

* * *

February 14, 2017

* * *

Artemis had her good days. Days when she's her old self, snarky and fiery, unafraid of the world because she can take what it dishes and throw it back in its face. Days when she'd wear her costume and mask and be satisfied with the work she'd done to make her city a safer place. Days when the sight of Bart in his costume didn't make her instantly think of Wally.

But today was not one of those days.

"Happy Valentine's Day, Wally," Artemis murmured as she sat down on the cold ground. She paused, as though listening to his answer.

"I know, right? It just figures that our last year together would be the first time you remembered Valentine's Day," Artemis chuckled, although the sound seemed wrong. She stopped, letting it fade away in the frosty morning air.

"Brucely is doing okay," Artemis attempted to change the subject. "He still misses you. I had to give him all of your dirty socks, for some reason he couldn't get enough of the smell. What were you thinking Baywatch, letting the place get that dirty? Just because I was gone for a few months?"

"You knew I was coming back for you, didn't you Wally? I told you I'd be back," Artemis stared at the gravestone desperately, as if begging for the monument to believe her.

"Kaldur and I looked out for each other and we got out, just like I promised. But…you know that. Fighting with you…beating the Light and the Reach…it was worth the separation. Worth those months apart. After the fight at the summit, getting to hold you…I never wanted to let you go. Being apart was worth that single moment of reunion."

"But…this. This…permanent separation, some days I don't know if I can take it anymore! When Jason and Tim took over the role as Robin, they at least had the decency to change the suit. But Bart…that stupid little _he_ …he wears _your_ suit. And it's wrong. It's so damn wrong and sometimes I want to stick an arrow in him! Then again, I used to want to stick an arrow in you."

"You used to drive me crazy Baywatch. All of your showboating and the way you were so _stupid_ about flirting with M'Gann. It took you forever to kiss me and now…now I'd give anything just to see your stupid smirk or your stupid face…those stupid green eyes that were always watching me. I could tell when you looked at me, back on the Team. I always knew. I knew when you were suspicious, when you were angry. I knew when it started to change and you started seeming so confused. Probably because I was feeling the same way," Artemis smiled wistfully. She dropped the smile as tears started to gather in the corner of her eyes.

"I'd give almost anything to see you again Wally," she whispered, her voice choked. "You…you made me so many promises. We were going to go back to Paris. We were going to graduate from college. We were going to get married and have kids and be a family! We were going to have a _future_. And now…you left me. You abandoned me Baywatch. And sometimes I'm so _mad_ at you, you stupid speedster! How could you leave me!?" Artemis screeched. Her voice echoed in the empty graveyard, a clump of snow fell from a nearby tree. The grave gave no response.

"You promised me Wally!" Artemis shouted. "You promised! You never kept Valentine's Day, but all of your other promises…why couldn't you keep this one?! Why couldn't you come back to me! I hate you! You left me, and I HATE YOU!"

Artemis slammed a fist against the ground. She wailed and wept, punching continuously at the frozen ground and the cold gravestone, not stopping even when her knuckles bled and her voice ran out.

Artemis wept. She cried for a life and a future lost, both never to be regained. She sobbed for the world that would never know the sacrifice Wally had made for it. And she mourned for the life that she had given up.

"I never should have gone on that stupid mission," she whispered hoarsely once she was finally worn out from beating the ground into submission. "I should have told Dick to stick it up his ass and walked away. I should have listened to you, I should have stayed in retirement. I should never have gone along with it and _I'm sorry_! I'm so sorry Wally and I can never forgive myself because if I hadn't gone on that stupid mission we never would have lost you. _I_ wouldn't have lost you. I threw us away and now…it's just me. I'm the only one left. There isn't an us anymore and there never will be again. And it's my fault."

"I want to hate you for it," a few more tears managed to trickle down Artemis's icy cheeks. "I want to hate you _so much_. Because if I hate you then maybe it will all stop hurting so much. Even on the good days I still miss you; I still ache for you. I can smile and laugh, make them think that it's getting better but…it's not supposed to get better. I don't have the right to…how can it be right for me to smile, to laugh at Dick's jokes when you're not there laughing too?"

"I…I know you want me to move on. We talked about it so many times, those late nights after the missions that almost went completely wrong. We always agreed that if something ever happened we would keep living. But Wally…I never thought that it would hurt this much. I never knew how badly I needed you Baywatch, even for the stupid little things like breathing. It hurts so much to breathe now."

"How did you do this to me?" Artemis sighed. "How did I let you do this to me? I could have kept my shields up, could have never let you get in as far as you did. Maybe if I was smarter I would have kept you out of my life. I would never have let you talk me into applying for college. I never would have let you tell me that I should switch my major if that was what made me happy. I never would have let you talk me into retiring from the Team. I would still be Artemis the hero, not Artemis the girl who's broken inside."

"I don't know who I am without you Wally. And some days…I don't want to find out. I just want to leave the mask on and live as Tigress. Because Tigress never had Kid Flash for a partner, never knew what it meant to be a part of the _best damn Team_ the League and the world has ever known. Tigress doesn't have to worry about broken hearts or midterms or sleepless nights with a crying dog. Artemis does. Artemis has to remember that her partner left her without saying goodbye."

Without caring about how cold and hard the ground was, Artemis laid out flat on top of Wally's grave, staring up at the sky. She was completely and utterly exhausted physically, mentally, and emotionally. It was the worst night she'd had since New Year's. Dick and the rest of the original Team had known to not leave her alone that night. They hadn't stopped her from getting completely drunk and sobbing in a heap on the sofa. But they also had made sure she didn't hurt herself. In all, it was a fair trade. Zatanna was even nice enough to stick around the next morning to help cure her hangover. They had all looked after her, had wanted to stick close to her today. But Artemis had requested her space, ordered them in fact. Bart had actually stepped up, ready to protest that Artemis shouldn't be alone but Tim and Garfield had gotten in his way, insisting that he leave the archer alone for the next few days. Bart had taken one look at Artemis's face and slunk off to another corner of the Watch Tower. She may feel bad for that later, but for now she was glad for her solitude.

"You said you'd always come back to me," Artemis whispered, closing her eyes and letting herself relax against the ground. "But…you always did have a little trouble coming through on your promises. It's okay though, I…I forgive you, Wally West. My forgetful Valentine."


	8. Happy Feels

A/N This is the alternate future in contrast to the previous ending. Something a little...happier, I like to think. Thank you for all of the reviews, and thank you Fairy Dell for all of your editing and encouragement! It's been a great week of writing and I'm sure I'll be back with something new once midterms are over.

* * *

February 14, 2017

* * *

Dick Grayson was nervous. _Nightwing_ was nervous. And he had exactly ten seconds to stop tapping his foot under the table.

"Dick, I swear by all that is holy if you don't calm down _you're_ going to be the one who ends up ruining tonight, not _him_ ," Zatanna hissed at her date for the evening.

It had been a whirlwind few months since the end of the REACH invasion. Dealing with the political fiasco, clearing out any remnants of REACH control, integrating the Team with the League, getting the returned Leaguers up to date with everything that had happened, and getting Wally back from the speedforce. That had been a _really_ good day. A _weird_ day, but a good one.

But that was months ago and for the most part Wally was back to himself. He was faster than ever before and (if you believed Artemis) hungrier than ever before. His parents were thrilled to have him back, Nightwing and Bruce had actually worked together to doctor the paperwork and death certificate so that Wally West was able to officially return to the land of the living and continue pursuing his degree in physics. And best of all, Artemis was smiling again.

And now it was February 14, 2017 and if Dick had anything to say about it his best friend was _not_ going to screw up this Valentine's Day.

"Dick, seriously you need to calm down," Zatanna interrupted his introspection.

"This has to be perfect," he insisted.

"You've said that at least ten times alone tonight. That doesn't include the number of times you reminded the Team and a few of the Leaguers."

"And the Rogues," Dick added.

"You…? Of course you would," Zee sighed, shaking her head. "You've got all of the bases covered, you even got the poor man a proper suit for tonight! Shut up and let them enjoy their evening and maybe focus on our own for a little while."

"I'm sorry, I know I'm being rude it's just –"

"I know. Believe me, they both deserve it," Zatanna smiled. "But if you keep making a scene Artemis is going to get suspicious and the whole surprise will be ruined."

The surprise was something that Dick had begun planning ever since Wally had asked him to take a day off from work and go shopping. Engagement ring shopping, to be precise. What should have been a simple process was anything but as the two friends debated over what ring would best suit Artemis and the fight only ended when one of them had the brilliant idea to give M'Gann a call. She had shown up with Zatanna and Barbara and all three had forced Dick to leave.

Dick had left willingly enough, because that meant he had time to begin plotting. Because our dear Dick Grayson, once youngest member of the Team and still troll master, had a secret.

That secret was that Dick had shipped Artemis and Wally from the very first mission. He had seen it all laid out before his very eyes, the simple fact that the two were meant to be together. As Wally's best friend it had been his duty and privilege to carefully push the two together on occasion and troll them the rest of the time. Now, with this final act on Wally's parts, Dick's OTP had the chance to become permanent canon. And he point blank _refused_ to let Wally do anything to even potentially screw it up.

In the months following the shopping trip, Dick had proceeded to plan out what he was sure was the _perfect_ engagement scene. Expensive candlelit restaurant with a string quartet, chilled champagne, reservations for the best table, a small area set aside for those couples that wished to dance, with the pièce de résistance being the whole thing set up for Valentine's Day. Wally was notorious for forgetting Valentine's Day, and Dick just knew that if he could help Wally successfully pull off a V-Day proposal then nothing would stop his ship from becoming canon.

It had only taken a little persuasion, a simple suggestion really, on Dick's part to convince Wally that proposing on Valentine's Day would be the perfect way to ask the blonde archer to be his wife. Wally had been grateful for Dick's promise to take care of the reservations for the evening and to provide the transportation so that Wally would have no excuse for forgetting or running late. The poor speedster never suspected that he was playing right into his best friend's hands.

The chefs would be vetted before the pair ever set foot in the restaurant, a surprise health inspection happening the day before to insure no risk of food poisoning. The staff had been specifically informed of Artemis's allergy to nuts and all such food products would be locked safely away. Dick had taken care of personally tipping the waiters beforehand with a promise that there would be a bonus for everyone if Wally reported back to having a successful evening. Every inch of the already immaculate restaurant had been dusted, polished, and primped with fresh flowers being delivered the day of the dinner. And then the ring…Wally was not to be trusted with the ring. He was barely being trusted with the proposal speech.

The ring would be brought out with dessert _on top of_ the slice of chocolate cake that Dick knew Artemis would end up ordering. It would _not be inside_ of the cake or in the bottom of the champagne glass because Dick knew better than to _ever_ risk Artemis choking before Wally was able to get the proposal out.

This was no time for amateurs. This was the finale, the big moment. And if anyone thought they would screw this up for Wally and Artemis, they would have to go through Dick first.

And the entire Team, for that matter. Using his capacity as co-leader, Dick had arranged for alternating shifts to patrol through Palo Alto that night, being on the alert for any potential crime that might call Wally and Artemis away from their _absolutely perfect romantic dinner of love_. When Tim had heard Dick describing the evening that way he had discreetly put a call in to Bruce to give him a heads up that Dick might have finally snapped. Bruce had listened carefully, considered the information at hand, and had decided that a few League members on standby to assist the Team wouldn't hurt the situation. And Batman may or may not have assisted Dick in terrorizing the Rogues of Central City into silence so that there was no chance that Barry would have to call Wally in for aid. Roy and Jade were only too happy to be on standby should Ollie need any backup in Star City.

All of the bases were covered and every disaster possible had been planned for with appropriate contingency plans put into place and carefully vetted. Team and League members were stationed throughout the city and Dick was on hand in the restaurant to make sure that everything worked out perfectly according to plan. The only possible way that this night would end badly was if Wally decided to be an idiot.

* * *

Nightwing may have been the resident troll since the very formation of the Team, but that didn't mean he was the only one who knew how to mess with people.

Wally West was able to recreate the Flash's experiment at the ripe age of thirteen, graduated in the top ten percent of his high school class, was currently obtaining a degree in advanced physics at Stanford University, and had managed to keep _Artemis Crock_ as his girlfriend for seven wonderful years even with missing almost every Valentine's Day.

In short, Wally West was not and has never been an idiot.

He knew the moment Dick had left the ring shop that the former Boy Wonder had begun planning Wally's proposal to Artemis. He had seen right through the innocent suggestions for reservations, suit, and transportation. Come on, the two of them had been best friends for years; Wally knew _exactly_ how Dick operated. For someone so brilliant and unpredictable, Wally found it surprisingly easy to predict Dick's thought process. The former Boy Wonder wasn't exactly subtle about his thoughts towards the couple and it wasn't too surprising how protective he'd become of the pair since Wally's return from the speedforce.

And because Wally was not an idiot, he had willingly gone along with all of Dick's subtle suggestions. He grudgingly accepted the offer for a nice suit. He gratefully accepted the reservations at the best restaurant in Palo Alto. He _happily_ accepted Dick's offer of transportation that had translated into a classic Mercedes-Benz.

But really, Wally had never expected his best friend to actually _follow_ him on the date. What the heck, were they all fifteen again?

"You all right there, Baywatch?" Artemis asked, a smile playing across her lips. Wally returned his full focus to the vision sitting in front of him and didn't bother holding back his huge grin.

"Never better, Beautiful. Just couldn't help but notice a few of our admirers," Wally replied casually. Artemis glanced quickly over his shoulder and sighed.

"You'd think being trained by Batman he would at least have the sense to be subtle about this sort of thing."

"Dick's always had an…interesting energy level," Wally hedged.

"He goes from brooding and moody to hyper and bouncing in less than five seconds," Artemis spoke flatly.

"Yeah, that's what I meant. Is he really bothering you that much though? Because I can and will ask him to leave. Tonight's about the two of us," Wally insisted, reaching across the table to take hold of Artemis's hand.

"You're sweet," she squeezed his hand back gently. "And he's not bothering me. Yet."

"Okay, if you're sure."

The pair had ten more minutes of solely enjoying one another's company when they both noticed Dick standing and pulling aside their waiter for a few quick words.

The poor man came back to their table and said that unfortunately the kitchen was out of their preferred wine that evening but a recommendation was swiftly made for one that would be a far better complement to their meal.

Wally blinked in shock. Dick had bribed their waiter to change the wine order. He chanced a quick look at Artemis who had accepted this information with a serene expression on her face.

 _You've brought this on yourself, buddy_ , Wally thought to himself as he waited for Artemis's real reaction.

"Now I have had enough. I know he thinks we have atrocious taste in wine, but this has officially gone too far," Artemis declared softly and calmly after the waiter had left the table. There was no reason, after all, to unleash her anger on the poor wait staff who were only doing as instructed. Knowing Dick there was probably a hefty bribe involved.

"I'll go have a word with him," Wally promised preparing to stand.

"No. This requires a slightly…creative touch. Please allow me. Just give me a moment. I need to…freshen up my lipstick," Artemis winked at Wally before rising from the table. Wally watched her go with a longing sigh. He certainly wasn't an idiot, but he was a bit of a fool in love.

* * *

Artemis Crock was trained to be a master spy and assassin. She knew how to observe and how to interpret those observations and come away with decently solid facts. She's not an idiot and no one's fool.

She had found the ring in Wally's nightstand a month before Valentine's Day and had kept it a secret from everyone, including her mother. And it was surprisingly difficult to keep a secret from the crafty older woman.

At the moment though, it was proving difficult to not go full-on former-assassin on one certain Bird Boy. Dick had finally worn her nerves thin and if he continued to try and butt in on her special night with Wally she would lay him flat and leave him stranded in the middle of the Bialyan desert.

 _Your boyfriend's looking pretty anxious. Might want to help him work off some of that extra energy._ Artemis smirked as she sent off a text to Zee while she was in the restroom.

 _I told him you would notice we were here! Want to make the night complete and come say hello?_

 _No. But I'd appreciate it if he'd back off. It's been fun for Wally and I to laugh at him, but we'd like to have the rest of the night to ourselves._

 _Crap, even Wally noticed?_

 _Dick's being surprisingly obvious tonight. Including changing our wine order._

 _In his defense he's anxious and wants you to have a great night. But I'll take care of the situation and we'll leave. Sorry. Enjoy the rest of your night!_

Artemis smirked with satisfaction, checked her appearance in the mirror one last time, and sauntered back to her table where her beloved speedster was waiting patiently for her.

"I texted Zatanna. She'll take care of Boy Wonder for the rest of the night," Artemis smiled as she slid smoothly into her seat.

"Nice job, babe. And by the way, you look beautiful tonight."

"I'm pretty sure you've already mentioned that once or twice," Artemis chuckled.

"You tired of hearing it yet?" Wally teased.

"Not really," Artemis admitted.

"That's what I thought," Wally grinned. Barely glancing over his shoulder, Artemis watched as Zatanna pulled Dick out of the restaurant, but not before flagging down a waiter and giving what appeared to be very explicit instructions with a few harsh glances at her boyfriend for good measure. Artemis raised her glass and toasted her friend as they finally exited the establishment and left the pair in peace.

"Should we tell him that we're already engaged?" Artemis idly wondered as she twirled the beautiful white-gold ring on her finger.

"No, we should let him sweat a little while longer. After all, he was nice enough to set up this engagement party for us," Wally gestured to their opulent surroundings.

"I'm pretty sure a party is supposed to be made up of more than two people," Artemis corrected her fiancé with a laugh.

"Engagement celebration then. You have to admit, these are pretty nice reservations."

"I suppose…although I am a little nostalgic for the old days."

"Huh?" Wally frowned.

"You know, back when you had all of those excuses for forgetting Valentine's Day," Artemis teased.

"I'm going to take a wild guess that even if I remember every Valentine's Day for the rest of our lives, you're still not going to let me forget the first few."

"Stick around and we'll see."

"It would be my pleasure."

"My forgetful Valentine," Artemis smiled as she leaned forward across the table.

"My Spitfire," Wally murmured against her lips.

* * *

The End


End file.
